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Tanner McKee shocks NFL fans with near-perfect night as Eagles dominate Bengals preseason opener

Eagles QB2 Tanner McKee looks like a starting-caliber talent while Will Shipley makes his case for RB2—and Joe Burrow unexpectedly lights up Philly’s secondary in a preseason clash fans didn’t expect to matter

Published

6 months ago

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Tanner McKee stuns NFL fans with flawless preseason debut as Eagles top Bengals

If this is what Tanner McKee does in August, imagine what he could do in January.

Returning to Lincoln Financial Field for the first time since their Super Bowl LIX demolition of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles reignited the 2025 season with a 34–27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals—and the hype is already building, thanks to standout performances from several young stars.

ALSO READ : Can the Cardinals End the Skid? Sonny Gray Faces Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow in High-Stakes LA Clash Tonigh

But it was Tanner McKee, the Eagles’ backup quarterback, who stole the show.

Facing off against the Bengals’ first-team defense, McKee looked more like a seasoned starter than a QB2. In just two early series, he went 5-of-6 for 73 yards and punched in a rushing touchdown using the Eagles’ signature “Tush Push.” And he didn’t stop there.

By the end of the first half, McKee was 14-of-17 for 193 yards and two touchdowns. No picks. No sacks. A passer rating of 153.2. That’s the kind of performance that puts your name in the conversation for a starting job—somewhere, if not in Philly.

“He’s a top-32 quarterback in this league,” one analyst said after the game. “If the Eagles ever need him to win a game, he’s ready.”

It may be preseason, but McKee’s performance made fans wonder—is he the NFL’s best-kept secret?

Joe Burrow plays… and dominates

Fans at the stadium were stunned when Joe Burrow took the field. The Bengals’ franchise quarterback had played just 16 total preseason snaps since being drafted in 2020, but head coach Zac Taylor had something different in mind this year.

Tanner McKee stuns NFL fans with flawless preseason debut as Eagles top Bengals


With Cincinnati going 1–9 in Weeks 1 and 2 over the past four seasons, Taylor is determined to start strong in 2025.

And Burrow looked sharp—surgically sharp. In two possessions, he went 9-of-10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a 157.5 passer rating. His favorite target? Ja’Marr Chase, who torched the Eagles’ secondary for 77 yards and a touchdown—including a brutal 36-yard score that exposed Kelee Ringo’s inexperience.

“Burrow and Chase looked like they were already in midseason form,” said one NFL Network commentator.

Kelee Ringo’s bad night… and the CB2 concerns

Ringo came into the game battling Adoree’ Jackson for the Eagles’ CB2 role opposite rookie sensation Quinyon Mitchell, but things unraveled quickly. Ja’Marr Chase had no trouble separating from him, and the missed tackle on the long touchdown didn’t help.

While Jackson didn’t perform much better, the Eagles’ recent acquisition of Jakorian Bennett after just nine camp practices now looks prescient. Ringo’s night will likely factor heavily in the coaches’ decision moving forward.

“This wasn’t just a rough outing—it was a red flag,” said a former Eagles cornerback turned analyst.

Will Shipley rises above RB2 battle

The Eagles have Saquon Barkley firmly locked in as their lead back, but the RB2 race is heating up—and Will Shipley just took the inside lane.

With Kenneth Gainwell gone in free agency and A.J. Dillon also competing for the backup role, Shipley made his statement early. On his third carry of the night, he broke off a 38-yard run, thanks to a crushing block by Tyler Steen. He finished with seven carries for 48 yards (6.9 YPC) and caught one pass.

He didn’t just show speed—he showed vision, burst, and confidence. After tonight, the RB2 job may already be his to lose.

Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson make their mark

The Eagles’ top receiving trio of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson is already elite—but who comes next?

Enter Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson.

Cooper, an undrafted rookie from Tarleton State, turned heads in camp and followed through on game day. He had six catches for 82 yards and was McKee’s favorite target once Dotson exited.

Wilson, known for his blocking, flashed his hands with three catches for 73 yards—averaging 24.3 yards per grab.

The competition behind the stars is real, and these two may have just forced their way into serious roster consideration.

Josh Uche reemerges with power and poise

Three years ago, Josh Uche had 11.5 sacks. Since then, he’s struggled to find a fit. But Thursday night’s showing might be the beginning of his comeback.

He showcased a devastating inside move against Jake Browning, collapsing the pocket and registering a QB hit that, while wiped out by a penalty, was a reminder of his pass-rushing potential.

Uche is currently penciled in as the No. 3 edge rusher behind Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, and if he keeps performing like this, third-down defensive packages just got a whole lot scarier for opposing quarterbacks.

Final Takeaway: This Wasn’t Just Another Preseason Game

The scoreboard may not matter, but this game offered real clarity.

  • Tanner McKee is more than a backup.
  • Will Shipley may have RB2 locked.
  • Darius Cooper is no camp fluke.
  • Kelee Ringo has serious work to do.

Add to that a surprise Joe Burrow cameo and Ja’Marr Chase slicing up the Eagles secondary, and it’s safe to say—this was one preseason game that might shape the entire year.

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Caleb Williams Impresses, but the Bears’ Late-Game Decisions Raise Eyebrows

One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next

Published

7 days ago

on

January 30, 2026

By

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years

For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.

With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.

Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.

And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:

Why not go for two?

The dream-big argument

If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.

Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.

Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.

But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


Why Chicago didn’t gamble

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.

Because miracles don’t stack.

Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.

After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.

“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”

There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.

So Chicago chose survival over glory.

How it unraveled anyway

The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.

And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.

Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.

So… was it the wrong call?

Emotionally? Maybe.

Strategically? Probably not.

Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.

That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


What this moment really means for Chicago

The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.

You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.

Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.

Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”

It will be remembered as the beginning.

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A Strong Night for Caleb Williams Ends With Doubts About the Bears’ Late Decisions

One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next

Published

1 week ago

on

January 27, 2026

By

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years

For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.

With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.

Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.

And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:

Why not go for two?

The dream-big argument

If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.

Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.

Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.

But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


Why Chicago didn’t gamble

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.

Because miracles don’t stack.

Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.

After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.

“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”

There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.

So Chicago chose survival over glory.

How it unraveled anyway

The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.

And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.

Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.

So… was it the wrong call?

Emotionally? Maybe.

Strategically? Probably not.

Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.

That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


What this moment really means for Chicago

The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.

You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.

Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.

Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”

It will be remembered as the beginning.

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Sports

Caleb Williams Did His Part But Did the Bears Overthink the Finish

One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next

Published

2 weeks ago

on

January 21, 2026

By

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years

For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.

With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.

Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.

And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:

Why not go for two?

The dream-big argument

If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.

Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.

Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.

But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


Why Chicago didn’t gamble

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.

Because miracles don’t stack.

Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.

After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.

“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”

There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.

So Chicago chose survival over glory.

How it unraveled anyway

The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.

And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.

Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.

So… was it the wrong call?

Emotionally? Maybe.

Strategically? Probably not.

Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.

That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


What this moment really means for Chicago

The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.

You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.

Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.

Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”

It will be remembered as the beginning.

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